The OÖ Nachrichten not only report on sustainability, they also set an example: Since last week, 380,000 kilowatt hours of solar power per year have been generated on the roof of the company’s own printing works in Pasching. To put this into context: That corresponds to the amount of electricity that around 110 two-person households need in a year.
The “Green Energy” project on the roof of the print shop is of great concern to Herbert Achleitner, CFO of OÖNachrichten: “As a media company, we not only want to think sustainably, but live sustainability and take on a pioneering role.” The first 714 photovoltaic modules were already installed in 2017, and in 2021 planning began for the now implemented extension by 430 modules, which were recently connected to the grid. Around 80 percent of the electricity generated with the Sunpower modules and Fronius inverters is used by the company itself. “Ideal conditions, since the public network is only slightly loaded,” says Achleitner.
The project was planned and implemented by a local company, CCE (Clean Capital Energy) from Garsten near Steyr. Managing Director Robert Bogner, who has also appreciated the OÖ Nachrichten as a print newspaper for years, is also pleased with the sustainability principle of the media company, after all, he says, “the energy transition must happen urgently – waiting is a waste of time.”
The fact that there are still opportunities that go untapped annoys him: “For example, where the statics allow it, we could long since equip noise protection walls with photovoltaic modules.”
The OÖN protect the environment
That’s why he’s particularly pleased that companies like OÖN take responsibility. The demand – to use large roof areas as “power plants” – has recently tripled, and in the case of private households even tenfold. That’s why CCE’s corporate goal is ambitious: “By 2025, we want to produce electricity for 1.5 million households – this will save two million tons of CO2,” says Bogner. Lukas Rosner, who was in charge of the OÖN project for CCE, says that despite the current supply bottlenecks, material is well supplied. “We ordered with foresight.” The order books are full.
For the OÖ Nachrichten, the expansion of the photovoltaic system is a further step towards sustainability: the vehicle fleet is gradually being converted to e-mobility, research routes are covered in the city on bicycles or e-bikes, rainwater is treated, process heat is used as heating, and the newspaper itself is made from 80 percent recycled paper.
Source: Nachrichten
